Persian Wall, Dale Chihuly

Episode 5 Jun-2004, Pat Villeneuve, Curator of Education I’m David Cateforis with another art minute from the Spencer Museum of Art. As you walk through the front door of the Spencer, they catch your eye and draw you in. You gaze upward at six undulating glass disks that seem to float on the wall high above the central court. Perhaps three feet in diameter, the red and blue pieces by the Seattle glass artist Dale Chihuly sparkle in the light-and cast dramatic shadows. The six units, each unique in appearance, make up a work of art called “Persian Wall.” It was made specifically for the Spencer Museum of Art in 1996. Although many people assume the artist used KU colors, he chose red and blue to highlight the Renaissance paintings visible through the doorway below. There is another work of art by Dale Chihuly in the 20th-Century Gallery. “Violet Persian with Red Lip Wraps” is made from 20 separate pieces of sculptural glass. Three large, iridescent, purple shell forms nestle together to form the base of the work. 17 smaller pieces of glass lile in their folds, competing for space and attention. Yellow, green, blue, and pink, some are shaped like globes, trumpets, and rattles. A strip of contrasting color, usually red, wraps the edges of each richly textured piece. With thanks to Pat Villeneuve for her text, from the Spencer Museum of Art, I’m David Cateforis.

I had just walked into the Spencer Art Museum and was led up the stairs. I looked up and BOOM!…There it was. I was stunned by the absolute beauty of the piece. It had blinded me from looking at the others. I found out it was called, “Persian Wall”, by Dale Chihuly, one of the most famous American glass artists. He is one of a group of artists who have revolutionized the concept of glass art in the twentieth century. Before him, glass was seen as a material for vessels and windows and not as a beautiful way to make great art. Persian Wall has 6 colorful blown glass objects in a flower design. Each of these glass objects are red and blue (which are the KU colors) and have concentric, variegated patterns. Chihuly calls these flaring, rippling shapes “sea forms” which he even wrote a book about. My favorite glass object is the one furthest to the left as it immediately stood out to me and gave me the most ocean-like and sublime feel. Chihuly had studied interior design at the University of Washington in Seattle where he also studied glassblowing. Chihuly’s vibrantly coloured organic glass creations were immediately popular with the public. He co-founded the Pilchuck Glass School which is an educational and influential space that helped grow some of the most renowned glass artists today. Persian Wall is a part of a collection called Persians which is an exploration of form, shape and color with a design of wild asymmetry and a swirling pattern. These types of pieces explore form, shape, and color and celebrate experimentation and innovation in glassblowing. Persians are mounted onto walls, windows and ceilings and are even placed along the bottom of Chihuly's swimming pool. Persian Wall gives me a feeling of swimming in an ocean. It feels calm and soothing. I love the ocean and get to visit it a couple of times a year. Sea life is fascinating to me, partially because it is so mysterious. There is some sea life that we don’t even know about yet. Persian Wall is like a beautiful grouping of anemones that I can visit even here in Lawrence, Kansas and try to capture the peace and serenity of floating in the water. This has been Vedsai Badrivenkata with another Bulldog Art Tour.